Means for mounting submarine signaling apparatus



Dec. 14, 1937. w, KUNZE 2,101,859

MEANS FOR MOUNTING SUBMARINE SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1936 INVENTOR. W/llz k'un ze UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Willy Kunze, Bremen, Germany, assignor to Atlas Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Bremen, Germany Application June 15, 1936, Serial No. 85,228 In Germany September 26, 1935 Claims.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for installing submarine signaling apparatus in the skin of a vessel either in the form of a complete skin installation or one which may be partly a skin installation type and partly a tank type.

It has been common practice to install submarine signal receiving and transmitting apparatus in the skin of a vessel and in most cases such installations have been made to conform to the contour of the vessel itself so that a continuous surface is formed with the vessel. While this installation has proved satisfactory under many conditions and for many various purposes, it has, however, been observed that under certain conditions a slight decrease of pressure may occur at the surface where the submarine signaling apparatus is positioned. This depends a good deal on the construction of the vessel at that point. In installations other than in the forward upward part of the vessel the general contour of the vessel is either on lines parallel with the keel of the vessel or slightly sloping rearward.

Under these conditions the inventor has observed that the pressure on the surface of the submarine signaling apparatus, particularly the diaphragm or the tank surface exposed to the water, is slightly less than the normal pressure due to the static height of the water when the vessel is going at fair speeds. This is due to the fact that the water currents passing from the front to the rear of the vessel tend to throw the water away from the sides of the vessel in certain spots and therefore create a slight decrease in pressure under that normally expected.

The applicant in the present invention has also realized that if the pressure upon the sound receiving apparatus or sound transmitting apparatus, particularly the radiating element, might be increased, considerable more energy might be impressed into the water and likewise a considerably greater amount of energy may be picked up by the receiving apparatus. In order to accomplish this result the applicant inclines the surface of the sound receiver or transmitter against'the motion of the water so that the velocity of the water will build up a pressure in front of the radiating diaphragm or receiving surface and provide not only good contact between the water and the diaphragm, thus eliminating air pockets and the like, but will also provide a relatively dead water space which will materially aid in quiet reception of submarine signals.

In the present invention the construction of the apparatus is also such as to provide extremely quiet receiving conditions, particularly in the reinforcement of the hull in the vicinity where the submarine signaling apparatus is positioned.

Further purposes and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the description given below taken in connection with the drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a section of one form of construction and Fig. 2 shows a section of a modification of the arrangement indicated in Fig. 1.

In the drawing l indicates the skin of the vessel in which there is provided a perforation or opening in which there may be placed an oscillator or a sound producing or receiving unit. In Fig. 1 this comprises a casing 2 having a front diaphragm surface 5. The casing may be formed of two parts and held together through the flanges 4 and 4', the flange 4 being formed as an external flange of the lower half iii of the easing, and the flange 4' being similarly formed on the lower end of the upper half I! of the casing. Between the flange 4 and the ships skin I there may be placed a heavy ring element 3 which may have an external conical surface growing larger towards the skin of the vessel. The cover l8 may be provided at the top of the casing and the sound transmission or receiving unit 8 may be mounted within the casing with the diaphragm 9 positioned horizontally and directing the sound in a vertical direction downward. The inside of the casing may be filled with liquid or some other conducting medium for producing proper radiation at the diaphragm 5.

As indicated in Fig. 1 the motion of the water with respect to the ship is shown by the direction of the arrow 1 which tends to build up a pressure in front of the diaphragm and make good contact of the diaphragm with the sound propagating medium as well as insure an increased pressure and therefore the possibility of operating the radiating surface 5 at greater amplitude. In back of the diaphragm 5 the space is filled in, as indicated by the body 5, so as to avoid an empty space which would otherwise occur on account of the water rushing past the rear end of the diaphragm 5. The surface, as indicated, will allow the pressure gradually to be released to the uniform flow along the ships skin. This arrangement will prevent any eddy currents from occurring at the rear of the diaphragm, thereby producing stray noises that might affect the diaphragm.

In the arrangement indicated in Fig. 2 the oscillator may be mounted directly in the skinof the vessel with the diaphragm l4, having one edge at the surface of the skin [2 and extending outward in a manner similar to that indicated in Fig. 1 with the rear element 6 provided to bring about an undisturbed flow of the water past the submarine signaling unit. A part of the casing of the oscillator ID has been cut away to show a portion of the diaphragm H3 in section. The oscillator H] in Fig. 2 is mounted at an inclined angle with the ships skin and is provided in the rear with a flange l5 which is fastened to the ring I3 made a part of the strengthening or mass ring I I attached to the skin of the vessel.

As will be noted from Fig. 2, the diaphragm l4 and the flange [5 are parallel to one another and the inclination of the diaphragm I4 is obtained by means of the shape of the mass H which is of a wedge shape with the thinner part in the rear, thus allowing the diaphragm to be tipped forward with reference to the flow of water as indicated by the arrow 1. The inclination of the diaphragm l4 and the diaphragm 5 is dependent upon the speed of the vessel and certain other conditions involving the directiveness of the unit and the use to which it is to be put.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with the skin of a vessel, a submarine signaling apparatus having a radiating element and means positioning said radiating element in the skin of the vessel at an angle of inclination to the forward direction of the vessel whereby the Water pressure on the radimousse ating surface will be increased when the ship is moving.

2. In combination with the skin of a vessel, a casing adapted to contain submarine signaling apparatus, means mounting said casing with a flange parallel to the skin of the vessel, said casing having a radiating element inclined forward to the motion of the vessel through the water.

3. In combination with the skin of a vessel, a submarine signaling device having a comparatively fiat radiating element, means mounting said submarine signaling device with said radiating element in the skin of the vessel and inclined in a forward direction and means filling the space behind said radiating element and the skin of the vessel to form a continuous smooth surface with the skin of the vessel.

4. In combination with the skin of a vessel, means mounting a submarine signaling element having a flat diaphragm and a rear outwardly extending flange comprising a wedge-shaped element having surfaces inclined to one another and adapted to be inserted between the flange and the skin of the vessel, said means serving also to strengthen the skin at the point of installation.

5. In combination with the skin of a vessel, a casing adapted to contain submarine signaling apparatus having a flange extending normal to the surface of the casing and a face inclined at an angle thereto and a ring having opposite parallel surfaces positioned between said flange and the skin of the vessel.

WILLY KUNZE. 

